THE hunt is on to find the thugs who shot a cat with a bow and arrow.

Fortunately, the moggy survived and was taken to the South Essex Wildlife Hospital in Orsett after being found by a cat lover in St Chad’s Road, Tilbury, on Saturday.

The hospital’s founder, Sue Schwar, said it was hit with some force and the arrow may have been embedded in the animal for several weeks.

She added: “The operation to remove the arrow took about one hour.

“If the arrow had been a little bit lower it could have damaged the cat’s spine and paralysed it.

“The cat is currently recovering, but it is in a lot of pain and the wound is still infected. It could be a few weeks before we know if it will pull through.”

Ms Schwar said she believed a cat hater could be behind the attack.

She said: “We don’t know who has done this but there are people who consider cats a pest and do not like them in their gardens.

“Our advice to cat owners is to try to not allow them to roam about because there are dangers out there for cats.

“Sadly, this is not unusual. We have seen cases like this before but fortunately we can pick up the pieces afterwards. The cat is currently on medication and is in the care of our dedicated team of vets.”

The charity hospital relies heavily on donations to keep on the work of caring for animals in need.

Anyone with any information about the attack is asked to call the wildlife hospital on 01375 893893.